PROBLEM: You never affirm others for their gifts and talents. You tend to want affirmation much more than you are inclined to give it, but the people around you greatly value your feedback, and your affirmation helps them to understand the positive impact they are making on your life. If you don’t offer affirmation (or worse, constantly criticize), they feel taken for granted and perhaps even taken advantage of. And when this happens, they’re not motivated to help you or to do their best work. Nor do they like you.
EXERCISE: Practice speaking to people directly and openly, thanking them for what they are doing, pointing out the impact it is having and encouraging them to continue. Giving affirmation is far more important than receiving it, but it is also true that the more you give affirmation to others, the more likely it is that healthy affirmation will come to you.
PROBLEM: Your inflated self-confidence sets you up for failure. You enjoy believing that you can do whatever you put your mind to and that you have no limitations, and that belief supplies you with the courage to take on some big risks. But, occasionally, you overstep your capacity and put yourself in a position that leads to failure and disappointment. You don’t have the best judgment as to what is, and what is not, a reasonable risk. This lack of judgment can really cause you problems.
EXERCISE: Make a list of five decisions you have made that, in retrospect, you see were foolish. Do you recognize how this overestimation of yourself can get you into trouble?
PROBLEM: You feel good about yourself only when things are going well. When everything is great, you feel almost invincible, but when you lose the support of meaningful people, experience conflict, or encounter failure in some project, your self-confidence can plummet. When that happens, you can almost be immobilized by self-doubt and anxiety. This vacillation in your self-confidence can make it difficult to hold a steady course and be a great leader.
EXERCISE: List five times in your life when you have experienced a loss of self-confidence. What occurred that led to that loss?
“If it turns out that you display some narcissistic habits and behaviors, don’t lose hope,” concludes Miller. “These exercises are meant to be jumping off points that help you recognize how you got to this point. You have work to do, but with effort and determination, you can grow in leaps and bounds and repair damaged relationships. The key is being willing to change. If you can do that, a new life awaits you, in which you are known and even admired for being genuine, caring, and kind.”
About the Authors:
JACK SKEEN, PhD, is the founder of Skeen Leadership, an executive consulting firm. Skeen coaches successful leaders, addressing every imaginable leadership, business, and life issue with wisdom and professionalism.
GREG MILLER, PhD, is CEO of CrossCom, a technology services company. Miller has successfully led CrossCom to become a market leader through process efficiency, technology innovation, and rigorous execution.
AARON HILL, PhD, is the William S. Spears Chair in Business Administration at Oklahoma State University. He has authored a dozen articles appearing in the Financial Times Top 50 business journals.
For more information, please visit www.thecircleblueprint.com.
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